TURKISH-ORGANIZED IRAQ SUMMIT FACES DELAY OVER HOST COUNTRY
A Turkish-proposed summit on the Iraq issue which had been expected later this week now faces a delay over which country will host the gathering, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Though Prime Minister Abdullah Gul proposed the summit to five Mideast countries -- Syria, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, all bordered on Iraq but the last –- and named Ankara as the host, Syria has proposed that its capital Damascus serve that duty. A preliminary meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday with the participation of the respective countries’ foreign ministers, including Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis. /Hurriyet/
GUL: “WAR IN IRAQ WOULD HARM TURKEY’S FRAGILE ECONOMY”
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government was working on crisis management due to both Turkey’s economic difficulties and a possible US-led operation against Iraq. “The AKP government must revive Turkey’s economy,” he said “We have no excuse for neglecting this.” Gul stated that averting war in Iraq was very important in economic terms as well as for humanity itself and the future. “We should do our utmost to prevent such a war,” he said. “War in the region would impose heavy burdens on Turkey’s fragile economy. Nobody should imagine that such an operation would boost our economy. That’s not a realistic view.” However, Gul added that government officials hadn’t yet discussed these costs with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Also speaking at the meeting, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that the AKP government was aware of the importance of its 6.5% primary surplus target. “If we’re unable to reach this target, the damage to our debt rating would persist for a half-decade or more,” added Babacan. /Milliyet/
BARZANI: “IF TURKEY OPENS ITS MILITARY BASES TO THE US, IT WILL BE CLOSER TO ACCEPTING WAR”
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Masoud Barzani said yesterday that should Turkey allow the US to use its military bases, the country would eventually accept a possible war against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Speaking to website “kurdistanobserver.com,” Barzani stated that the Turkish government was trying hard to stay out of a prospective Iraq conflict, but that if the US insisted on deploying its forces at Turkish bases, Turkey might not be able to maintain this stance for much longer. /Cumhuriyet/
FELICITY PARTY LEADER KUTAN VISITS TRNC
Following Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc’s visit last week to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan yesterday arrived in the capital Lefkosha. Kutan, accompanied by SP Deputy Chairman Temel Karamollaoglu and Executive Board member Oguzhan Asilturk, met with President Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu and Parliament Speaker Vehbi Zeki Serter. During their meetings, the leaders exchanged views on the future of the island. Stressing that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan had been prepared very carefully both using judicial language and “concealing traps,” Kutan said that his advisors had examined the plan and he had told the public his view of it. Denktas stated that the proposal should be revised before a public referendum planned for March. Meanwhile, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and an accompanying delegation are also scheduled to pay a visit to the TRNC tomorrow. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN TO MEET WITH POWELL DURING DAVOS
As preparations continue for a possible US-led military campaign in Iraq, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to meet with US Secretary of State Colin Powell during the five-day World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland which begins on Thursday. Powell is expected to ask Erdogan to speed up Turkey’s decision-making process on US requests concerning a prospective war, such as using the country’s air bases and harbors as well as stationing US troops in Turkey to launch a northern offensive into Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/
GOVERNMENT BEGINS USING COMPUTERIZED CENSUS SYSTEM
At a ceremony yesterday, the Turkish government officially began its implementation of a new computerized census system. The new system, called MERNIS, will enable a more efficient census, one for instance not requiring citizens to stay indoors, as in past censuses. Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that MERNIS was an important step forward in Turkey’s government becoming an “e-state,” one boasting top computer technology. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the ceremony. /Aksam/
DENKTAS, CLERIDES EXCHANGE PROPOSED CYPRUS PLAN REVISIONS
At a yesterday meeting in Cyprus’ buffer zone, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides presented documents to each other which included their requested revisions to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan. Denktas and Clerides are set to meet again tomorrow afternoon. UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto and the leaders’ advisors were also present at the meetings. /Turkiye/
US JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN MYERS CONCLUDES VISIT OF TURKEY
After completing his contacts with Turkish offcials, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Chairman Richard Myers yesterday left Turkey. Myers arrived in Turkey on Sunday and visited US troops stationed at NATO’s Incirlik Airbase. Yesterday, Myers met with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul. Speaking to reporters, Myers stated that US contacts with Turkish officials would continue on cooperation regarding the Iraq issue. “Turkey is our strategic partner,” he said. “We are trying to solve the Iraq issue first through peaceful means.” Meanwhile, two other important military officials are scheduled to visit Turkey later this week to discuss the Iraq issue. British Chief of General Staff Adm. Micheal Boyce and NATO Allied Forces Commander Gen. James Jones are expected to arrive in Turkey on Thursday and Friday, respectively. /Turkiye/
OZKOK TO RECEIVE BRITISH CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BOYCE
British Chief of General Staff Adm. Michael Boyce Kingdom is to arrive in Ankara on Thursday to meet with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hilmi Ozkok for discussions of a possible military operation in Iraq. During their meetings, Boyce will reportedly try to persuade Ozkok that British troops should be included in a northern Iraq front in such an operation. /Aksam/
CHP CHAIRMAN BAYKAL: “IF TURKEY GETS INVOLVED IN AN IRAQ WAR, IT MAY FIND ITSELF ISOLATED”
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal, who is currently in Rome participating in a meeting of the Socialist International, said yesterday that Turkey could find itself isolated both from Europe and the rest of the world if it got involved in a war in Iraq. Stating that the conscience of the Socialist International could never condone military intervention in Iraq, Baykal added that all of the leaders he had spoken with at the meeting had urged Turkey to take up Europe’s side, not the US’, on the Iraq issue. /Hurriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION